Armenia to allocate 22.8 million drams for Ebola protection ahead of COP17
15.10.2026,
18:06
The Armenian government has approved the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) totaling approximately 22.8 million drams, in light of the risk of Ebola virus disease spreading and the upcoming COP17 international conference in Yerevan.
YEREVAN, October 15. /ARKA/. The Armenian government has approved the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) totaling approximately 22.8 million drams, in light of the risk of Ebola virus disease spreading and the upcoming COP17 international conference in Yerevan. The decision was reached during a government meeting on Thursday.
According to the rationale for the decision, these procurements are intended to ensure readiness to respond to a potential outbreak and to mitigate the risk of the infection entering Armenia.
Items to be procured
The list of personal protective equipment to be purchased includes:
• 990 protective coveralls;
• 480 pairs of rubber boots;
• 990 pairs of protective goggles;
• 310 face shields;
• 310 disposable medical gowns;
• medical and nitrile gloves, protective masks, and other personal protective equipment.
The acquisition of this necessary equipment and protective gear is expected to facilitate a rapid response to potential epidemiological threats.
Additional control measures
Concurrently, the government has decided to temporarily strengthen sanitary-quarantine controls at Zvartnots International Airport.
Through October 26, passengers arriving from countries and territories identified by the Armenian Ministry of Health—based on WHO recommendations—as posing an epidemiological risk will undergo non-contact body temperature screening.
Additionally, passengers will be required to complete locator forms to facilitate subsequent epidemiological monitoring.
About COP17
The 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) will take place in Yerevan from October 19 to 30, 2026.
Participants will focus on issues such as biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, the mobilization of funding for environmental protection programs, and the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
One of the key goals of this framework is to ensure the conservation of at least 30% of land and marine areas by 2030.
About the virus
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, for which there is currently no vaccine approved for widespread use.
Consequently, mass vaccination is not being carried out. Meanwhile, the evaluation of candidate vaccines and new treatment methods continues.
As of October 15, 2026, an outbreak of the disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus—a strain of the Ebola virus—is ongoing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), 9,144 confirmed cases and 4,410 associated deaths have been recorded.
Outside the DRC, cases of the infection have also been detected in Kenya. According to a Reuters report from October 14, two linked cases have been confirmed; both patients have died. The first individual to fall ill arrived from the DRC via Uganda. At present, there are no signs of wider transmission within Kenya.
The WHO assesses the risk of the infection spreading as very high for the DRC, high for neighboring countries, and low at the global level.
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According to the rationale for the decision, these procurements are intended to ensure readiness to respond to a potential outbreak and to mitigate the risk of the infection entering Armenia.
Items to be procured
The list of personal protective equipment to be purchased includes:
• 990 protective coveralls;
• 480 pairs of rubber boots;
• 990 pairs of protective goggles;
• 310 face shields;
• 310 disposable medical gowns;
• medical and nitrile gloves, protective masks, and other personal protective equipment.
The acquisition of this necessary equipment and protective gear is expected to facilitate a rapid response to potential epidemiological threats.
Additional control measures
Concurrently, the government has decided to temporarily strengthen sanitary-quarantine controls at Zvartnots International Airport.
Through October 26, passengers arriving from countries and territories identified by the Armenian Ministry of Health—based on WHO recommendations—as posing an epidemiological risk will undergo non-contact body temperature screening.
Additionally, passengers will be required to complete locator forms to facilitate subsequent epidemiological monitoring.
About COP17
The 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) will take place in Yerevan from October 19 to 30, 2026.
Participants will focus on issues such as biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, the mobilization of funding for environmental protection programs, and the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
One of the key goals of this framework is to ensure the conservation of at least 30% of land and marine areas by 2030.
About the virus
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, for which there is currently no vaccine approved for widespread use.
Consequently, mass vaccination is not being carried out. Meanwhile, the evaluation of candidate vaccines and new treatment methods continues.
As of October 15, 2026, an outbreak of the disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus—a strain of the Ebola virus—is ongoing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), 9,144 confirmed cases and 4,410 associated deaths have been recorded.
Outside the DRC, cases of the infection have also been detected in Kenya. According to a Reuters report from October 14, two linked cases have been confirmed; both patients have died. The first individual to fall ill arrived from the DRC via Uganda. At present, there are no signs of wider transmission within Kenya.
The WHO assesses the risk of the infection spreading as very high for the DRC, high for neighboring countries, and low at the global level.
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